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Southeastern cuisine ’

Monday

Spring is upon us, which means that it’s time to go hunting for restaurants that serve keme, an elusive fungus with a beguiling taste that we’ve dubbed the “Mesopotamian Truffle.”

Impossible to cultivate and with a season that spans only a few weeks, this specialty of southeast Turkey is worth seeking out, with a taste that’s like an earthy cross between a Portobello mushroom and a very delicate potato. Last year, we got our keme fix at Kadikoy’s excellent Çiya Sofrası, where it is grilled on a skewer and served like a kebab (as well as incorporated into several other dishes).

In this morning’s edition of the English-language Today’s Zaman, though, we learned about another place in Istanbul that also serves keme, Kübban Gaziantep Mutfağı. We’re not familiar with this place, but the article (you can find it here) makes it sound very promising. The good news? The article — at least in the print edition — gives an address. The bad news? It’s all the way out in Güneşli, a neighborhood on the western outskirts of Istanbul.

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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
no responses - Posted
05.08.18
That much of the past seems to stick to Samatya is a marvel in Istanbul, a city being rebuilt and “restored” at an alarming pace.
First, there’s the question of its name. Occupying a stretch of the Marmara Sea and squeezed between the old city walls and Kumkapı, an area home to a rotating cast of eclectic restaurants, the neighborhood still ... continue

Spring Surprises: Skewering the First Fruits in Istanbul
no responses - Posted
04.25.18
It was the first of April and an absolutely pristine Istanbul spring day, the kind where one can break a slight sweat walking up a hill then catch a cool breeze in a nearby patch of shade. Returning to the city from a lovely weekend on Büyükada, we were smitten with spring and wanted to indulge in its finest offerings.
In ... continue

Farewell, Pando: An Istanbul Culinary Legend Passes On
no responses - Posted
04.16.18
It’s Saturday around lunchtime and business as usual in the bustling Beşiktaş Çarşı neighborhood, as crowds of mostly younger people fill the narrow streets. Down on Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, a pedestrian-only street lined with miniscule shops, a line around the block has been formed by those eager to get into one of the city’s best döner spots.
For many of those ... continue

Bağdat Ocakbaşı: Licensed to Grill
no responses - Posted
04.09.18
Istanbul’s T1 tramway is relatively pleasant if you can find a seat, but borders on unbearable if you are on your feet.
Back in 2015, we wrote about a trip we took from the line’s first stop all the way to one of its last, which lies way out in the district of Güngören. By the time the tram has made ... continue

Dose & Istos Café: Greek Revival
no responses - Posted
03.30.18
A café at its best is so much more than the sum of its parts: it’s a place where people can easily mingle, share ideas, and dertleşmek, or commiserate over their troubles, all while imbibing caffeine. At the same time, it’s a place where visitors might feel an invisible thread of common beliefs connecting them, an unspoken camaraderie, even if ... continue

Back to the Land: Urban Turks Tackle Rural Life
no responses - Posted
03.23.18
When Buket Ulukut first moved from Istanbul to a rural plot of land in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey, she was leading a double life.
“I’d be taking calls from clients in Europe while out amidst the rows of peppers and eggplants, hoping they didn’t hear the rooster crowing in the background,” says Ulukut, who worked in ... continue

Semt Pazarları, Civic Life Perfected
no responses - Posted
03.09.18
“Two kilos five liraaa! Two kilos five liraaa!” bellowed a young and exuberant vendor of tomatoes to the ongoing stream of frugal-minded shoppers making their way through the snaking Tarlabaşı Sunday Market.
Hundreds of sellers of fresh produce, dairy, seafood, kitchenware, clothing, smuggled tobacco, jewelry, fresh baked goods and numerous other items set up side by side in the central Istanbul ... continue

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A Culinary Tour of Turkey – in Istanbul no responses - Posted 03.14.10
The English-language daily Today's Zaman has an article up that takes a look at some of the restaurants in Istanbul serving food from other regions in Turkey. The article (addresses included, for a change), offers some good tips on where to find food from the Black Sea and southeast regions ...continue

Dürümzade: Wrap Artists (and Television Stars) 2 responses - Posted 01.19.10
Editor's note: This review first appeared back in April of 2009. Turns out the "wrap stars" at Dürümzade were among the stars of last night's episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" show, which recently visited Istanbul. In honor of Dürümzade's newfound television success, we decided to offer this "rerun" of ...continue

EatingAsia Interviews Çiya Chef Musa Dağdeviren 2 responses - Posted 11.22.09
EatingAsia, a marvelous blog that (mostly) covers Asian food and culinary traditions, recently caught up with chef Musa Dağdeviren, creator of Istanbul's Çiya Restaurant. A kind of culinary anthropologist, Dağdeviren has helped introduce Istanbulites and visitors to the city to traditional recipes and ingredients from across Turkey that are even ...continue

Çiğ Köfte: The Raw Deal no responses - Posted 10.12.09
It may not quite be up there with Japan’s fugu, blowfish meat that if prepared incorrectly can lead to death, but Turkey’s çiğ köfte is one of those foods that carries with it a certain frisson of danger. Literally translated as “raw meatballs,” the dish is made out of uncooked ...continue

Siirt Şeref Büryan Kebap Salonu: The Lamb Underground 16 responses - Posted 06.22.09
Editor's note: This post has been updated to reflect the fact that the restaurant has changed locations. The food remains as good as ever.
The Kadınlar Pazarı – a very pleasant, pedestrian-only square in Istanbul’s Fatih neighborhood – is the closest the city has to having a “Little Kurdistan.” The surrounding ...continue

Kaburga Sofrası: The Rib Shack 1 response - Posted 06.01.09
In eastern Turkey, a lamb is consumed literally from head to tail, with hardly any part of the animal going uncooked. One of the specialties from the region, particularly in the area around the picturesque city of Mardin, is kaburga – breast of lamb – a cut akin to short ...continue

Kiva Han Gets the Thumbs Down 7 responses - Posted 05.25.09
Today's Zaman has a review of Kiva Han, a restaurant near the Galata Tower that tries to be a Beyoğlu version of Asian side favorite Çiya. It's not a favorable review:
All in all, our experience at the new Galata Kiva Han was extremely disappointing, and on second thought, I should have ...continue

Akdeniz Hatay Sofrası: The Syrian Connection 12 responses - Posted 04.20.09
The only positive thing about the torturous annual visit we make to Istanbul’s main police station in order to renew our residence permit is the chance to drive through the low-rent Aksaray neighborhood, home to dozens of intriguing off-the-beaten path restaurants, most of them opened by migrants from other parts ...continue